The Global Shea Alliance (GSA), in partnership with Sunlife Impex Company Limited (SICL), has supported women associations at Meteu and Dornye in the Wa West District with weighing scales, jute sacks and pallets to help improve their shea nut aggregation business.
The women were also trained in cooperative and business development, quality shea aggregation and processing skills to enable them aggregate premium shea nuts to supply to SICL for use.
The German Development Corporation (GIZ) provided funding through the GSA for the training of the women while SICL provided funding for the shea aggregation equipment and materials.
The intervention was part of the implementation of the “Improving Women Shea Collectors’ Capacity” project, which sought to promote investments in the shea value chain in Ghana, help improve product quality and increase direct market linkages.
The 1.15 million Euro Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative was to help build the capacity of about 30,000 women, shea collectors, in Northern Ghana through training, job creation and investments.
Speaking at Dornye to hand over the items, Mr Ben Akumanue, the Operations Manager of SICL, noted that the company was committed to buying any quantity of shea nuts the women can aggregate.
“We will not buy them at cheaper prices, but at the prevailing prices. We will not rush you to sell them. We will have patience for you so that you can sell them at the time you like,” he said.
Mr Akumanue said SICL had other plans to support the women economically, particularly during the shea nut off-seasons, and urged them to remain loyal to the company.
He mentioned that SICL was already working with the women and would continue to work with them as long as the women continued to supply them with premium shea nuts.
The beneficiaries were grateful to the GSA, SICL and the GIZ for the support and said they would work diligently to meet the demand of the company.
The women, however, appealed to the organizations to remain committed to their words and not to disappoint them.
